Iran's supreme leader reportedly has ordered an amnesty or reduction in prison sentences for "tens of thousands" of people detained amid the nationwide protests shaking the country.

While the government said tens of thousands of prisoners were to be freed or get reduced sentences, rights advocates suggested the move was a sham.

Amnesty does not apply to dual nationals, prisoners with death sentences or those who do not regret their crimes, say officials

News of the pardoning was communicated by the state-run IRNA News Agency, which said that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had "agreed to amnesty and reduced punishment for tens of thousands of convicts,

Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, agreed Sunday to pardon "tens of thousands" of protesters who were arrested after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.

Iran has announced it will pardon or commute the sentences of tens of thousands of prisoners on “strict conditions”, raising fears that peaceful demonstrators

STORY: Iran's Supreme Leader has pardoned "tens of thousands" of prisoners, including some arrested in recent anti-government protests, state news agency IRNA reported on Sunday ().But the pardon, approved by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in honor of the 1979 Islamic Revolution,